Sycamore vs. Sycomore

Sycamore: launched in 1930. Inspired by the sycamore tree and Coco Chanel's dream of the perfect woody perfume, a dry, balsamic scent without all of the feminine trappings of the other perfumes of the day.

So what did it smell like?

• Top notes: violet
• Middle notes: balsam
• Base notes: tobacco

Presented in a tall clear glass rectangular bottle with sloping shoulders. Packaged in a wooden box which heralded the perfume's name.

Originally retailed for $45 in 1930 as seen in this 1930 ad for B. Altman & Co.

Discontinued, date unknown.


Sycomore. A rich-wood fragrance with a noble character -- like the Sycomore tree that inspired it -- created by Chanel Master Perfumer Jacques Polge in 2008. At the heart of the scent: Vetiver, with an elegant Sandalwood note and dashes of Cypress, Juniper and Pink Pepper, for an earthy, warm and enveloping, yet subtle presence.

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FAKE CHANEL ALERT!

Fake Chanel perfume on ebay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chanel-Vintage-Hard-to-Find-No-5-PERFUME-1-fl-oz-in-Both-Boxes-never-used-/221253431706?pt=fragrance&hash=item3383bb719a

Chanel never used this bottle for their perfume! The boxes are not right, the bottle is not the correct one and does not say Chanel in the glass. The screwcap is also wrong, it would not be used on a parfum bottle, only bottles that had screwcaps were eau de toilettes and eau de colognes, not parfum! Not to mention, but the screwcap logo would have been quite different, with the CC logo engraved and picked out in white and not raised with gold paint like the one in the auction.

Real Chanel No. 19 vs. Fake Chanel No. 19

Here is a fake Chanel No. 19 bottle (photo originally posted on basenotes).. this bottle was never use by Chanel, you can also see that the label is fake as well.

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Real Bleu by Chanel vs. Fake Bleu by Chanel

So you want to by Bleu by Chanel...but you are afraid of buying a counterfeit...do yourself a favor and buy it at a Chanel's own website, a higher end department store, Sephora or Ulta. 

Ebay, flea markets, mall kiosks, craigslist, many online retailers and other retailers are known to sell counterfeits...save yourself the headache and doubts by buying at an authorized dealer only!!!

Or you already bought Bleu by Chanel...from eBay, a flea market, a mall kiosk,  website, craigslist, or some other retailer, or were given it as a gift ....and you have doubts as to its authenticity...well this tutorial will help you determine whether it is real or fake.


ebay member jmpassaniti wrote this:

"It appears the sales of counterfeit Bleu de Chanel are now epidemic on eBay.  I have encountered dozens of listings, most showing either a slightly faded box cover or a generic Chanel image that sell almost hourly on here.  After sharing notes with several buyers, including myself, it's a safe bet they are almost ALL fake counterfeits.

These are being sold by sellers in Michigan, New York, and California, and by some who have nearly 100% positive feedback, but the fragrance is undeniably a weak fake. Considering almost all of these auctions net the seller between $40-50 a bottle, with multiple sales a day this is quite a haul.

The cellophane wrap and box seem convincing enough.  The logo is raised, the box bottom has what appears to be a four digit lot or serial number embossed on the box, and the earlier counterfeit problems of spelling errors and unclean packaging appear to be resolved by the offshore manufacturer.  The real story doesn't become clear until you open the box and look at the bottle itself.

It has got a hazy film all over it, smudges and smears of what could be fragrance or fingerprint oil, and tiny fine scratch swirls that become evident in bright sunlight. The top shows a diagonal seam and the bottom is slightly irregular -- the sign of a cheap glass bottle manufacturing process. These bottles have been around, and not in a good way.

The bottle cap will be the ultimate test of real vs. fake.  Real Bleu de Chanel has a cap that holds in place with a magnet.  The phonies have a small seam line inside the cap which, by forcing the cap down, holds it in place.  If you set your cap on top of a real Chanel bottle, the magnets do all the work and the cap will automatically be held in place -AND- most important of all, the Chanel logo on top of the bottle will always spin into perfect alignment with the front/back of the bottle. You can see a demonstration of that on YouTube.  Just search for "Real vs. Fake Bleu de Chanel."

If your bottle cap doesn't do this, it's a fake/counterfeit.  The fakers sometimes use magnets, but the bottle caps don't align properly.  The most recent ones on eBay don't even bother with that -- they simply require the owner to press them down to hold them in place.

Ignore the Made in France vs. USA tips from around a year ago.  Legitimate Chanel fragrance can come from either their U.S. factory in New Jersey or from France.  Most of the fakes will say France just because people assume Chanel = France.

If you have a phony, don't even bother to spray it on yourself.  You have no idea what is in there, and would you spray a crime ring's fragrance on your skin?

Instead, file complaints.  The feedback system on eBay is notoriously poor for identifying fakes.  People are just happy to have received something in the mail quick for a good price that resembles the product they want.  Most have no idea they bought a phony.

Sellers promise refunds and some encourage you don't blow the whistle on their fake sales.  Occasionally, some are unwitting dupes themselves.

Chanel is among the most frequently counterfeited fragrances because of the high demand and the manufacturer's near-obsessive inventory control.  They destroy leftovers, old stock, and irregulars -- they don't sell it at wholesaler auctions.  I'd suspect the only real bottles of Chanel on here are those sold by individuals who have a single leftover bottle they don't like, one inherited from a family member who passed, or got one as a gift.  The ones selling a near-endless supply (check those feedbacks to see what they sold in the past) are immediately suspect, especially if they are selling in the $40-50 range for a 3.4oz bottle.

Yes, you'll pay $79 for an authentic bottle of this at the local department store, but for twice the price you'll actually get the real product.  The 1.7oz costs $59 -- around what you'll pay for the fake and the return postage to send it back (not to mention the time and hassle)."

 

View this YouTube tutorial:


Also this YouTube tutorial can be helpful:

Bois Noir by Chanel c1987

"Bois Noir," born from the creative genius of Jacques Polge in 1987, emerged as a hidden gem within Chanel's fragrance repertoire. This exclusive scent was a coveted secret, available solely at Chanel boutiques in France, adding an air of mystique to its allure. This exquisite combination of rarity, craftsmanship, and elegance made "Bois Noir" a cherished treasure among Chanel aficionados.

Examples of Negative Feedback for Fake Perfumes

Here are some examples of negative feedback for Chanel perfumes on ebay.

I copied and pasted these feedbacks directly from ebay and Toolhaus.org.

	!!! WARNING ! ! ! COUNTERFEIT ASPECTS--SCENT, BOTTLE, PACKAGING	m80hall ( 124)	Mar-29-13 07:31
	Reply by xguardian123 (Mar-29-13 14:10): We never sell anything other than genuine brand items. A+ reviews please read.
	Chanel Coco Mademoiselle 3.4oz Women's Eau de Parfum (#121075350254)

	Because it's a Chanel, I had hoped it was made in France. Next time, specify.	Buyer: Member idtess2377 ( Feedback Score Of259)	Nov-09-06 06:54
	Reply by gifts-unlimited (Nov-10-06 18:50): Buyer assumed where it was made, I did not lie. All my Chanels are made in USA.
	-- (#290039355980)

	Thx	perfumestash ( 156)	May-04-13 12:35
	Follow-up by perfumestash (May-05-13 11:37): This Item has Alien Particals Floating and does NOT smell like Chance. FAKE.
	1Chanel Chance3.4oz Perfume for Woman (#261205802161)

	shippin A++/ not same item as in description, was fake not to sellers knowledge	Buyer: deevicx201 ( 116)	Jan-02-13 08:36
	BRAND NEW & SEALED Chanel No. 5 3.4oz Women's Eau de Parfum BEST PRICE ON EBAY (#170961974634)

Chanel Perfume Testers - Yes They Are Faked!

This is a notice to anyone who sees a Chanel fragrance tester for sale, chances are that that bottle is a fake. Fake perfume manufacturers do make fake perfume testers and Chanel testers are one of the most commonly faked.

So when you see that cheap Chanel tester on ebay, look at the seller's feedback, look at their other auctions. If you see more than one for sale...it's a fake.

Chanel does NOT sell it's testers!!!! EVER!!!

Real Coco by Chanel vs. Fake Coco by Chanel

This guide was borrowed from abodaciousgal on flickr.

Front of Box

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•Ink used for label and print on the box is substandard
•The font is smaller on the fake
•The ink has bled between many letters
•The gold on black lettering and imprints on the box are thicker and harder to read than the authentic
•The word vaporisateur is higher on the fake box
•The white logo box is larger on the fake

Back of Box

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The logo on the back is larger, less refined than on the authentic
•The multilingual translation for the word spray (vaporisateur) also has the word “natural” added to each line on to the fake even though the barcode (314589 1135305) and box numbers (113.530) are the same
•The Greek translation for the word spray (ΣΠΡΕΙ) is missing on the fake
•The list of ingredients has only seven on the fake (the first three and the last four) and not the 23 listed on the original
•In the list of ingredients, 5 of those listed which have parentheses, have typos where there is no space between the words (i.e. “AQUA(WATER)” and not “AQUA (WATER)” )
•The CHANEL Paris logo is missing
•The 92200 NEUILLY SUR SEINE underlined logo is missing
•There is a typo on the CHANEL NY logo with no space between CHANEL and INC.

Side of Box

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The color of the gold used in ink and on the box sides are yellowier/brassier colored than on the authentic
•The top flaps on the box sides are larger on the fake.

Bottom of the box

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The spacing of the letters is smaller (and not justified) than on the authentic
•The circular circle with an arrow symbol on the bottom of the box is upside down than on the authentic.

Front of Bottle

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The white logo imprinted on the black band is thicker
•The ink used is flaking/rubbing off where the authentic cannot be scratched or rubbed off
•The label is cut roughly around the edges
•The color of the gold on the label is yellower/brassier colored than on the authentic
•The font of the label is larger and thicker than the authentic
•The color of the printing on the label is silver and not white

Side of Bottle

 

Bottle on left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The thickness of the bottle on the bottom and on the sides are thicker and less uniform than the shape of the authentic
•The color of the fake perfume is darker
•The scent of the fake is nothing like the musky authentic, it smells like aftershave!!!!

Top of Cap

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The bottle top is rougher, rounder and less clear than the authentic bottle.
•There are cast marks on the top of the fake bottle.

Closeup of Cap

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The bubble within the cap is smaller, less in depth and misshapen on the fake.

Back of Bottle

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The pump does not have a ball bearing nor is tube long enough to reach the bottom of the bottle as on an authentic bottle
•The authentic has the all the logos and registered trademarks on the reverse so they are visible from the back of the bottle and the fake has nothing
•The nozzle of the fake is taller than the authentic and crooked
•The color of the nozzle is lighter shade than the authentic.

Bottom of Bottle

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The etched product markings on the bottom of the bottle are lighter
•The CHANEL Inc logo does not have the registration mark
•The CHANEL Inc logo has New York, NY 10019 and not N.Y., N.Y. 10019 as on the authentic bottle
•The CHANEL Paris logo is missing
•The 92200 NEUILLY SUR SEINE underlined logo is missing

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Real Chanel Chance Eau Tendre vs. Fake Chanel Chance Eau Tendre

Some photos and info are from the following guide:

http://www.choenterprise.com/fashionablymary/index.php/spotting-fakes/8-spotting-fakes/4-spotting-fake-chanel-perfume

Other photos are from an ebay seller who claims her perfume is authentic because the bar code she entered in ebay's form comes up as a Chanel perfume. What the seller doesn't understand is that this bar code was taken from a genuine Chanel perfume bottle at one time and has been "stolen" by a Chinese manufacturer and by being printed and used for various Chanel Chance Eau Tendre fakes over and over, that's why it works.

On the fake bottle, it comes with a slip cover that has this print on it. The real bottles do not have this slip cover. In addition, the slip cover has a shoddy cut and paste photo shop image. Also notice that the box shows a waterstain  underneath the cellophane, this is caused by the fake perfume leaking inside the package. Leaking bottles are very common with fake perfumes.

Real box: Purple shade

Fake box: light pink shade

Fake box's back side. Notice the Chanel name on the left is missing its copyright symbol!

Fake box's slip cover back side. Notice the Chanel name on the left is missing its copyright symbol!

Rea; box: the printing is exact

Fake box: the printing is off center and there is a ghost image of a "double strike" on the word Chanel.

Real box: note two barcodes and location of the boxes on either side of the barcode and where the recycle symbol is located.

Fake: single barcode and note location of the small boxes and recycle symbol. Also on the bottom picture, is a fake, it is missing its barcode!

Real cap: the cap will always fit tightly onto the sprayer head

Fake cap: huge gap between cap and sprayer head, which will make it wobbly.

Real base: the metal plate fits perfectly embedded on the base, with teh screws even in all four corners.

Fake base: the metal plate is poorly made  and the four screws holding it on are unevenly placed in the corners.

Real bottle: the quality of the metal is very thick, smooth and highly polished.

Fake bottle: the metal is poor quality, is dull and thin and shows abrasions on the edges.

Real box: 

Fake box: direction of packaging is incorrect

Real bottle: the high quality glass is smooth, evenly molded and polished

Fake bottle: poor quality with visible ridges resulting in uneven surface and waviness.

Real bottle: has a unique serial number engraved onto the glass, and matches the one on the box.

Fake bottle: doesn't display the engraved number on the glass.

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Real Chanel Chance vs. Fake Chanel Chance

Fake Chanel Chance.

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Real Coco Mademoiselle vs. Fake Coco Mademoiselle

Here is a wonderful guide by Dino: http://www.dino.co.uk/labs/2011/how-to-spot-fake-chanel-coco-mademoiselle/

Also view this Youtube video:

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Une Fleur de Chanel c1998

"Une Fleur de Chanel," crafted by Jacques Polge in 1998, embodies a tale of floral elegance. Initially unveiled as a limited edition, it debuted in synchrony with the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show. This harmonious convergence of beauty and artistry encapsulates the essence of Chanel's timeless allure, celebrating the ephemeral yet enchanting nature of blossoms in full bloom.

Chanel Pour Monsieur - A Gentleman's Cologne c1955

Chanel Pour Monsieur: created in 1955 by Henri Robert.

Coco Noir c2012

Coco Noir by Chanel: launched in 2012. Created by Jacques Polge and Christopher Sheldrake.

Arpege and Chanel Perfumed Writing Pens

A common product found on ebay and other sales venues is the Arpege/Chanel No. 5 Perfumed Writing Pens.

The pens are ballpoint style and the ink is supposedly scented with the famous perfumes. These pen sets were manufactured in the 1970s.

A 1971 ad reads "Perfumed Writing Pens. Packaging as pictured, beautiful leather covered jewelry boxes. Perfumed refills are specially prepared with Arpege and Chanel No 5 perfume. One writes In Arpege the other In Chanel No. 5. Pens are guaranteed for five full years and beautifully boxed and yours absolutely Free when you open a new No Service Charge Checking Account."

The cases and pens are marked "Arpege and Chanel No 5. 14 kt Gold Exclusive Design."

Please understand that the pens are only plated with 14kt gold "paint" and not made up of solid gold.

Neither Chanel nor Lanvin manufactured these pens and the perfume used to scent the ink inside is questionable at best. 

The two perfume companies did not give approval of the usage of their perfumes name in the selling of these pens and the usage is outright trademark violations..

A 1972 the A.T. Cross Company sued Jonathan Bradley Pens, Inc. for trademark infringement and unfair competition over the use of the name Lacrosse pens .It was also "brought out at the hearing that defendants distribute and sell pens with "Chanel #5" and "Arpege" printed on them, that they have not secured permission from the owners to use these marks, and have not advised the owners of defendants' use."

So, the perfumed pens were probably only manufactured between 1971-1972 or so, but they appear to have been sold and given away in the thousands as you can regularly find these on ebay any given week. However, there is no value to these pens other than a novelty. The gold paint is worthless and the perfume may not even be genuine.

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FAKE CHANEL PERFUME ALERT! - Essence of No. 5 Chanel - Rollerball

Every now and then I see products called "Essence of No. 5 Chanel", a roll on perfume oil.

The truth is, that this product is fake...because Chanel never made any products called "Essence of No.5 Chanel", the company also never made a roll-on perfume oil.

Lotion No. 5 Chanel

Lotion No. 5 Chanel, a perfumed body freshener meant to be splashed liberally on the body.  It was sort of like an eau de cologne or eau de toilette, but had some sort of glycerine component inside to help with a moisturizing effect for the skin. It was popular starting in the 1930s-1950s.


This is not equal to body lotion that we are familiar with today, it was not thick or greasy. It was thin in consistency like eau de cologne, lightly and lightly perfumed. It was meant to be splashed on after bathing or exercising.

photo from ebay seller petrpavek1

Lotion Chanel No. 5, photo by ebay seller kateepcat

1937 Special Chanel Perfume Presentation

"Glamorous white satin Christmas gift box, inside nestles a special size bottle of any of the perfumes of Chanel. $10.00"

Stage, 1937:
"Inside nestles a special size bottle of any of the Perfumes of Chanel. $10.00 A beautiful crystal bottle of Chanel Perfume in Gardenia, No. 5, Cuir de Russie (Russia Leather), Glamour, or Jasmin"

Anatomy of a Fake Chanel Perfume Bottle

Look at the shape of the bottle, the shoulder of the bottle should be straight, not sloping like on this bottle.Also notice the boxes, the box on the right should be i two parts, where the bottle would fit snugly inside a base and a top would slide over the top of the bottle, then a small label would be placed over the seam to seal the two halves of the bottle in place. On this fake bottle set, you can see that it is just one box, and not the two halved box like it should be.

Beter view of the sloping shoulders and the stopper, which does not have the extra faceting as on a genuine Chanel bottle.

Showing the back of the fake bottle.

The bottom of the fake bottle. This says "Bottle Made in France" and has the entwined HP symbol, which is the mark of Pochet et du Courval. The bottle should have "Chanel" embossed into the base along with the maker's initials VB or BR for Verreries Brosse, the company who made Chanel's genuine perfume bottles.

Notice the overall look of the box, see how the black lines are uneven and the printing looks globby and not perfectly set.

The back of the outer box, the printing is very small and not perfectly set. The CC logo is slightly wrong too.

The front of the outer box, the printing is not perfectly set and the black lines are uneven.